Fantastic year for East Down Pony Club members

Fantastic year for East Down Pony Club members

18 January 2017

EAST Down Pony Club members have been celebrating another successful year.

At the beginning of July the annual senior and junior camps took place and again the club is indebted to Richard Lyttle and the team at Downpatrick Race Course for hosting the five-day residential camp for senior members. 

Thanks also to Marion Turley and the team from Tullymurry Equestrian Centre who hosted the three-day junior camp and the senior cross country day.

At the area qualifiers East Down had members participating in show jumping, dressage, eventing and tretrathlon. The training and preparation paid off as the Club had members qualify for the National Championships in England in each of the disciplines. East Down teams also qualified in desssage and show jumping in Pony Club UK’s new Grassroots Championships 2016 was East Down’s turn to host the Area 17 dressage qualifier. 

East Down member, Ben Rowlatt-McCormick, qualified for the National Championships in Cheshire with a third place in the intermediate dressage and the team of Katie Watson, Tara Emmett, Caoimhe Crozier and Tom Rowlatt-McCormick qualified in second place for the Grassroots dressage championships in Scotland. 

The junior novice dressage team of James Murphy, Lucy Kayes, Kaiti McCann and Thomas Murphy finished in first place and the mini team of Ellie McDowell, Faye Hamilton-Quinn, Emily Turley and Emma Burns finished in second place.

In the open show jumping, Harriet Pele qualified in fourth place and was also awarded the Horsemanship Award. Rachel Kerr represented East Down at novice level show jumping at the National championships in Cheshire. 

The team of Katie Watson, Tara Emmett, Caoimhe Crozier and Tom Rowlatt-McCormick qualified to represent East Down at the Grassroots show jumping in Scotland and the mini team of Lauren Madine, Ceoladh Crozier, Emma Burns and Sam Hamilton finished in third place at Area level.

The open eventing team of Andrew Turley, Toni Quail, Ryan Truesdale and Harriet Pele finished in first place. The intermediate eventing Team of Molly Evans, Ben Rowlatt-McCormick and Charis Vinaccia also qualified from a first place finish. 

The Tetrathletes secured places at the Tetrathlon Championships. Paddy Erskine was first placed open boy and Ellen Erskine second placed Intermediate Girl. The junior boys team of Johnny Erskine, Ben Rowlatt-McCormick and Conor Findlay finished in first place with Junior girl, Sophie Dunlop taking fourth. The Minimus team of Tom Rowlatt-McCormick, Caoimhe Crozier, Ceoladh Crozier and Tara Emmett also finished in first place.

The Home Championships were hosted by Iveagh Pony Club at Tullymurry Equestrian Centre facilities. These Championships are based on a one day event with classes ranging from 45cms assisted to 85cms. East Down had 28 members entered. 

Jenny Hogg was third in the 85cm class. The team of Roddy Pannel, Thomas Murphy and Rory Kinnear took fourth place in the 75cm class and Caoimhe Crozier was placed second. The 65cm team of Ceoladh Crozier, Kaiti McCann and Lucy Keyes were the winning team and Lucy was the winning individual. Oliver Kinnear was second in the 45cm unassisted and in the 45cm assisted team class fourth place went to the East Down team of Emily Turley, Maya McMullan, Carragh Grant and Sophie Herron.

Congratulations to East Down Branch member Toni Quail on Ringfort Rua who qualified for the Pony Club Combined Training at Dublin Horse Show where they finished sixth.

In the Jumps Ahead Final at the Ulster region Pony and Young Rider Championships, East Down Branch had four members qualifying – Zara Burns, Zara Sharvin, Charley Hanna and Tadgh Clarke. Tadgh finished third and Zara Burns was fourth.

During the winter season, Pony Club host a Dengie winter league. This year East Down was represented at the show jumping finals by Zara Burns who was second in the 12 and under Junior Open. Zara Sharvin was sixth in the 12 and under Junior Dengie and Caoimhe Crozier 

For all those five to 25 year olds who are ‘chomping at the bit’ to join Pony Club, please visit the East Down Pony Club website for membership information. 

Prizegiving results

Junior Russell Cup – Tara Emmett

Mini award Shield – Sam Hamilton and Oliver Kinnear

Saunders Cup – Edmund Pannell

Lecale Shield – Sophie Heron

Lisbane Cup – James Murphy

Maymore Cup – Andrew Sharvin

Senior Russell Cup – Charlotte Leslie

East Down Cup – Katie Watson & Charley Hanna

Steele Cup – Alex Cleland

Priestly Shield – Zara Sharvin

Bissenden shield – Troy Watson

Oakley Fayre Cup – Ben Rowlatt McCormick

Strangford Cup – Andrew Turley & Ben Rowlatt McCormick

Downe Veterinary Cup – Andrew Turley, Harriet Pele, Toni Quail, Ryan Truesdale

Rae Timbercraft Cup – Ben Rowlatt McCormick, Molly Evans, Charis Viniccia

Committee Cup – James Murphy, Lucy kayes, Kati McCann, Thomas Murphy

Adams Cup – Ellie McDowell, Faya Hamilyon-Quinn, Emily Turley, Emma Burns

Sporting  Images Trophy – Lucy Kayes

Trevor Steele Award – Lucy Kayes, Kati McCann, Ceolagh Crozier

Dewdney Shield – Conor Findlay, Ben Rowlatt McCormick, Johnny Erskine

Glover Shield – Ceolagh Crozier, Caoimhe Crozier, Tara Emmett, Tom Rowlatt McCormick

Mini Showjumping Award – Ceolagh Crozier, Lauren Madine, Emma Burns, Sam Hamilton

Showjumping Award – Rachel Kerr

Junior Dressage Award – Lucy Kayes & Tara Emmett

Senior Dressage Award – Ben Rowlatt McCormick

Senior Eventing Award – Andrew Turley

Rathkeltair Cup – Katie Watson, Tara Emmett, Caoimhe Crozier, Tom Rowlatt McCormick

Committee Cup – Toni Quail

Napier Family Trophy – Cleland Family

Dcs Award – Ben Rowlatt McCormick, Molly Evans, Charis Viniccia & Olivia Hughes